James P. MacLean, Chairman, has a long and extensive background in Christian organizations, business and law. His love for India and its people has been a tremendous asset to the Boys and Girls Christian Home Ministries, Inc. for more than 40 years. He also has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Philadelphia Leadership Foundation, The Pocket Testament League, American Scripture Gift Mission, D.M. Stearns Missionary Fund, Christian Legal Society, Philadelphia College of Bible (now Philadelphia Biblical University) and Morning Cheer (Sandy Cove). He currently chairs the board of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc. He has also served on boards and committees of various public and private businesses and civic organizations. He resides in Port Norris, NJ, and Warren, VT, where he attends Port Norris Baptist Church and Christ Memorial Church in Burlington, VT. He and his wife, Kathy, have two married daughters (both active in Christian ministry) and four grandchildren. He and Kathy enjoy fly fishing, gardening, bird-watching and personal ministry to others.

 

Bob Palmer is a son of Dr. George A. Palmer, founder of Morning Cheer, Inc. Bob attended the Bible Institute of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1951. He was ordained to the Christian ministry that same year. He attended Wheaton College in Illinois where he received a BA degree in Christian Education. In 1955, Bob married Charlotte Leavitt and that same year opened a brand new teenage camp known as Hilltop Ranch, in Colora, Maryland. The Palmer's have four grown children. Bob became President of Morning Cheer, Inc. in 1973, taking over for his father, who retired. With that Presidency, Bob also became President of Boys Christian Home in India. In 1992 he was responsible for a dramatic change at BCH: Girls were admitted to BCH for the first time. No longer did orphaned girls have to be separated from their brothers. The Home is now known as Boys and Girls Christian Home. In the year 1999, the Home's centennial year, the Home of Peace was opened to admit widows. He travels frequently to India, a country he deeply loves.

 

William E. Sutter is Executive Director of The Friends of Israel (FOI), an organization he has been involved with since 1982. Since his appointment as executive vice president in 1996 and executive director in 2001, he has worked closely with FOI's United States, foreign, and media ministries as well as providing leadership for all aspects of outreach through the international headquarters.

Bill graduated from Faith Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree and was ordained to the gospel ministry through his local church, Bethel Chapel of Huntingdon Valley, PA, where he, his wife Annette, and his family have been active for many years. He is also a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a B.S. degree and holds an M.B.A. from New York University.

His lifelong service with Christian ministries began with Philadelphia Biblical University and has included a variety of leadership positions. Additionally, he has provided counsel to numerous Christian organizations and maintains several board memberships, including Boys and Girls Christian Home Ministry, and officerships.

 

Daniel R. Radford has been a member of BGCHM's US Board since 1995. Since his retirement from business in the early 1990s, he has been very involved in volunteer work to help children. Since 1993, he has been Board President of Christian Homes for Children in Hackensack, N.J., an orphanage, adoption agency and foster care facility, which also provides community assistance, founded in 1900. He has been a member of the Northern Valley Evangelical Free Church in Cresskill, N.J. since 1975, where he has held the position of Deacon and Elder and was Chairman of the Board of Elders for three years. He and his wife, Ruth, are also active members of a number of naturalist organizations, including the Cape May (N.J.) Bird Observatory, the Living Desert in Palm Desert, CA, and the Greenbrook Sanctuary in Alpine, N.J. The Radford's have two grown daughters.

 

Scott C. Daley also has served on the boards of The Philadelphia Leadership Foundation (former Vice Chairman), Philadelphia Leadership Prayer Breakfast, Young Life of Ocean City, NJ, and is presently on the Board of Trustees of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, serving on the Audit, Compensation and Institute for Jewish Studies Committees.

Mr. Daley is employed as a real estate developer and currently lives in North Fayston, VT, with his wife, Susan, and twins, Kaile and Kaitlin. Previously, they resided in Ocean City, NJ, where they were members of Ocean City Baptist Church.

The family enjoys skiing, hiking, gardening and caring for their growing herd of alpacas.

Rev. P.Y. Singh, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, comes from Baptist Church of Achalpur Central India, where he has been Honorary Associate Pastor since 1976. He graduated from seminary in 1962, after earning a bachelor's degree in Management and a post-graduate diploma in Hospital Administration. He has worked as Pastor of the Achalpur Baptist Church, administrator at mission hospitals in Achalpur and Nagpur, manager and treasurer of a large secondary school in Bombay and is presently Executive Director of Micro Finance Institution, which offers credit to poor and under-privileged entrepreneurs. Rev. Singh has been Chairman of BGCH since 1989 and is also President of Nagpur YMCA and Liaison officer of seven orphanages operated by the Church of North India, Nagpur Division. Himself an orphan, Rev. Singh was brought up and educated in an orphanage and is committed to serving BGCH and its children.

 

Nirmala S. Indurkar has been a teacher for more than 22 years, holding a B. Sc. in Home Science, and currently teaches at Holy Cross Marathi Girls High School in Amravati. She also is President of the Women's Fellowship of Church of North India, and a member of the Local Hostel Committee of St. Thomas Boys Hostel, both in Amravati.

Rev. Dhanoo U. Gawai holds a M. Div. degree and is currently Principal of St. Thomas English High School and Pastor of C&M Alliance Church in Amravati. He is married with a son and two daughters, all of whom are married. His son is preparing for the ministry at Calcutta Bible College. His wife, Prema, recently retired as a nurse.

 

Rev. Pramod M. Deshpande is currently Senior Pastor at Charisma F. Church in Nagpur, a position he has held since 1986, and also works as a stenographer in the State Bank of India. He is also Executive Director and Board Member of Teen Action International, Honorary Administrator and Member of the Management Committee of Charisma Eng. Convent, Member of the Executive Committee of Lord's Delight Ministries in Wadi, Board Member of Siddheshwari Education Society in Wadi and Treasurer of Charisma Family Church in Nagpur.

Rev. M. F. Palaskar is an Evangelist and Pastor at several different locations and is 1960 seminary graduate. In addition to his work with BGCHM, where he is Assistant Director as well as a Board Member, he is President and General Secretary of Baptist Christian Association in Achalpur, a founding member and Executive Director of Community Development Society, and Principal of Bible College.

 

Bishop Emeritus Dr. Thomas Ward was the first Bishop of Free Methodist Church in India in 118 years, a position to which he was elected in 1988. He was a pastor in that Church for 15 years, Coordinator of Education for 5 years, and a Teacher and Registrar for 6. He is currently a Lecturer and Coordinator for External Education at Union Biblical Seminary in Pune. After receiving his B.A. from Nagpur University, he went on to earn a B.D. from Union and then traveled to the U.S. to earn his M. Th. from Fuller Theological Seminary and finally his Doctorate from Trinity International University. He then returned to India, where he was born in 1942. He and his wife, a retired nurse, have a son and daughter, both doctors, and two grandchildren.